The basic requirements for feeding flat, rectangular fabric articles, such as bed sheets, pillow cases, towels, etc., onto a conveyor are: (1) a loading position in front of the conveyor where the leading edge portion of an article can be placed manually or automatically; and (2) a transfer mechanism which feeds the leading edge portion of the article from the loading position and onto the conveyor, leaving the loading position free and ready to receive the leading edge portion of the next article.
The existing and known methods which are employed at present comprise devices which draw the leading edge portion of the article mechanically onto the conveyor or which blow the article onto the conveyor by means of air streams from pressure jets. Both of these systems have limitations of speed, complexity, or quality of feeding.
In more detail, such systems normally place mechanisms of one sort or another immediately between the operator and the leading edge of the conveyor, and it is frequently extremely difficult, if not dangerous, for the operator to attempt to insert an article by manual emplacement on the conveyor. This greatly reduces the flexibility of the system, and in particular tends to reduce the maximum transfer rate. U.S. Pat. No. Re 31,453 reissued Dec. 6, 1983 shows an example of such obstructing mechanisms in the form of a pair of movable feeder blades 32,33 which stand between the operator and the conveyor input.
There also remains a need for a simple, reliable means for smoothing wrinkles from the article after it has been placed on the conveyor. Here again, it is desirable that manual smoothing operations be totally eliminated, while at the same time providing for a high volume of feed through the conveyor system.